Thermostatic valve



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,675.

' c. J. HEISER.

THERMOSTATIC VALVE.

FILED JAN.29, 1921.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

cmnns .1. Helena, or LOS sncnnns'cnmronm 7 f laems rnnamos'ra'rrc VALVE.

.gl pplication filed January 2% 1921. Serial 1lo. 440,921.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs'J. HEISER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los An eles, countyv ofLos Angeles, and State 0 California, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Thermostatic Valves, of which the following is a specification.' I My invention comprises athermostatic valve which is adapted to be used in water heaters, automobiles or other devices in which there is a liquid circulating'system which will hereinafter be explained.

Referring to thefldrawingwhich is forillustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of water heater equipped with my invention:

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile equipped with my invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through my A invention, and, Fig. 4 is a section-on a plane represented by the line 4-4 o f Fig. 3; My invention consists ofa member 11 having a rectangularfpassage 12, formed therein. The member- 11 is threaded at .13

and 14 to receive standard pipe. Secured by means of .rivets'15 inside the passa .e 12

6 extends up against 2 hot water heater is as. follows:

is a thermostatic element 16 formed 0 two metals having liliflerent co-eflicients of heat expansion. e element 16 is nearly .'as wide asthe passage 12 and the end thereof in thewall of the chamber so that in its normal cold position, as shown in Fig. 3, the passage 12 isblocked by the strip 16. For the purpose indicated, the strip 16- need not fit tightly in the passage 12, there being a reasonable clearance allowed therearouiid.

When used in'the hot water system, my invention is arranged as indicated in Fi'g. 1 in which 20 is a storage tank which is supplied with cold water under pressure through a pipe 21 and from which hot water maybe taken through a" pipe 22. A heater of conventional form 23 takes cold water from the bottom of the boiler 20 through a p'pe 24 and delivers hot water through a' pipe 25 into the bottom of the member 11,-the,water passing through the member 11 being delivered to a pipe 26 which is connected to a pipe 22.

The object of 115mg my invention in a If-my invention is omittedandithe pipes 25 and 26 are connected together, the heater an abutment 17 formed tends to circulate water which passes up wardly through the pipe 26 and through the pip 22 into the top of the boiler 20, water being withdrawn through the pipe 24 to the bottom of the heater 23. Such a circulati'on is set up even where the water delivered to the pipe 26 is not very warm. There is thus a tendency to heat the water in the boiler 20 'to a certain degree which is dependent upon the friction in the pipe NT F I E;-

24, the heater 23- and'the pipe 26. This can I usually-be adjusted to give the desired results and if necessary adjustable valves may be used in some portions of the system for thls purpose.

Where my invention is used, however, the

degree of heat in the top of theboiler 20 is determlned by the construction of the ele'-' ment' 16 and is entirely independent of other conditions. Suppose that the boiler 20 is full of cold water and the heater 23 is started: The element 16 is in the positionshown in Fig. '3 virtually closing the passage 12, the water in theheater 23 .is rap idly raised-in temperature, the hot water passing upwardly by means of -convection currents into the pipe '25. This hot water comes in contact with the strip 16 which expands, moving from the position shown in A to the position shown in B- or to an intermediate .position shown at 'B. The strip 16 then extends alon one side of the passage -12 and much less o struction is pro vided thereb'y. As soon as the water-be comes heatedtherefor in the heater- 23 and not before the strip 16 bends into the position B,aliowing water to 'ipe 26 and the pipe 22 into the top, of the. Boiler 20. In theeventthat the rate of floW is too rapid, the water passing through the passa e 12 becomes lowered in temperature and t e strip pass through the 1 v 16 bends back towards the 5 original position, thus shutting ofl a'portion of the water until the desired temperature is reached.

By the use of my inventionpit possible; i

to accurately and positivelyfpredetermine the temperature of the water passing into g this waterinto the top of the I the pipe 26. to deliver water at F.,' it is possible to so con- In other words, ifit is desired F. allows a free circulation. It is thus posible be accurately made at the factory and can be installed by cheap labor with excellent results.

My invention has a further utility when applied to an internal combustion engine shown in Fig. 2, in which 30 is the engine casting which is supplied with cold water through a pipe 31, the hot water being withdrawn through pipe 32. The pipe 31 is taken out at the bottom of the radiator 33, the hot water being delivered to my in vention 11 by the pipe 32 passing through a pipe 3% into the top of the radiator. It is very important in the operation of internal combustion engines that the temperature of the cooling water be maintained within definite limits. If the weather is very cold, and the whole system is subjected to low temperatures, the engine has a tendency to remain. cold for a. long time after it is started due to the rapid cooling of the water in the radiator 33 and to the circulation set up thereby.

It is highly desired in an internal combustion engine to hold the water in the cooling jacket around the cylinder until it reaches a certain minimum temperature after which the circulation can be permitted to establish itself. My invention automatically accomplishes this. In starting the engine, the cooling system is cold and the element 16 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 in which position it prevents the passage of water from the pipe 32 to the pipe 34. As soon as, however, this water heats up to any desired temperature which temperature is determined by the characteristics of the element 16, the element 16 starts to bend from the position sitio-n B, and Water is allowed to pass from the pipe 32 into the pipe Set. The strip 16 automatically assumes the proper position to maintain this temperature which should be the temperature found by practice to give the best results in the operation of the engine.

It will be noted that my invention is free from valves, stuffing boxes or other devices which might get out of order orleak.

It will be further noted that it is extremely simple to manufacture in its method of operation. It can, of course, be applied to other uses than the two given which are merely for illustration purposes.

I claim as my invention:

l. A thermostatic valve comprising walls forming a flat sided passage; and a thermostatic strip formed of two dissimilar metals and secured at one end, the unsecured end of saidstrip extending across said passage with. its edges parallel with said flat sides and partially closing said passage.

2. A thermostatic valve comprising walls forming a fiat sided passage; and a thermostatic strip secured inside said passage, said strip being of suitable material to be distorted by a change in temperature and so placed in said passage that it retards the flow of fluid therethrough by blocking the passage when so distorted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at s Angeles, California, this 21st day of January 1921.

CHARLES J. HEISER.

A towards the po 

